Enova, a state owned grant scheme, grants 50 million NOK in funding as investment support for establishing a shore power facility for cruise vessels in Bergen
“We are extremely pleased with the decision to grant funding. It is a necessary for establishing Europe’s largest onshore power supply in Bergen as early as 2020,” says Johnny Breivik, Port Director, and Ingrid von Streng Velken, Executive Vice President of Innovation and Development at BKK.
Bergen is Norway’s largest cruise port as well as one of the largest in Northern-Europe. Throughout 2018, 342 cruise vessels will have visited Port of Bergen, which is an increase of about 31 vessels from the previous year.
This past September Port of Bergen and BKK announced that they will be establishing a joint company with the aim of building Europe’s largest onshore power supply, as well as Bergen’s first shore power facility for cruise vessels. On the 4th of December it was announced that Enova will grant 50 million NOK in funding as investment support for a shore power facility, which is estimated to cost around 120 million NOK.
“Vessels that dock at Port of Bergen emit large quantities of particles, NOX and CO2, and the motivation for the joint company is to reduce these emissions as soon as possible. To be able to offer shore power for cruise vessels will send a strong message that Norway are moving towards a sustainable and emissions free development of the maritime transport industry. We are building a shore power facility that will supply three cruise vessels with power simultaneously. The rather ambitious aim is for the first facility to be ready at the beginning of the cruise season in 2020. With the funding, for about 50 million NOK from Enova, Port of Bergen is ready to move forward with the project,” says Breivik.
Replacing fossil energy with electricity
BKK is a leading company in Western Norway in the field of renewable energy and innovative infrastructure. The company’s operation includes production of hydropower and other renewable energy solutions and development and operation of fibre, power and district heating. The company recently announced that “Electrification” is to become a separate venture to increase the rate of energy conversion from fossil energy to renewable energy.
“BKK will develop, own and operate infrastructure for electrification, and preferably in collaboration with other companies. The collaboration with Port of Bergen is an example of this. Together we can make a real difference and contribute to a rapid transition from fossil to renewable energy within the maritime transport industry. Port of Bergen is dependent on shore power and BKK is pleased that Enova has made the decision to support the project. The grant enables the project in moving rapidly towards being realised," says Velken.
